"You've worked hard, so you must win the game. We have to show the Americans a thing or two in the finals!"
"Don't worry, Brother Yao, we'll definitely make it to the finals together!"
...
The second half of the game began.
Croatia showed significant improvement after adjustments during halftime.
Meanwhile, Wang Zhizhi, who replaced Da Yao, started experiencing stamina issues.
Consequently, at the start of the third quarter, aside from Li Feng, all other Chinese players suddenly went cold.
In contrast, Croatia’s "everyone is a shooter" mentality resurfaced, and the team rained three-pointers.
Croatia's coach was cunning. He knew Li Feng's strong help defense, so he specifically instructed his players to target those away from Li Feng.
Despite Li Feng's all-out effort, the deficit was slowly chipped away.
With Wang Zhizhi committing his fourth foul, Jonas had to substitute him out.
At this point, the score difference was only 6 points.
With Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi off the court, the team lacked interior height, forcing Yi Jianlian to temporarily play center.
Croatia seized the opportunity, continued their aggressive shooting, and narrowed the gap to just 1 point.
Jonas called two consecutive timeouts, but the effect was minimal.
The fans at the Wukesong Stadium were deeply disappointed. They had expected an easy win, only to see the lead erased in less than a quarter.
Li Feng dared not rest throughout the entire third quarter, fighting hard on the court.
At the end of the third quarter, Croatia led by 2 points, 67:64, entering the fourth.
The Chinese players walked off the court with dejected expressions, heads bowed. Li Feng was particularly furious.
Li Feng had scored 13 points and dished out 5 assists in the third quarter, his impact on the game still evident.
However, the team's overall defense had significant problems, as if their legs couldn't keep up with the opponent's rhythm.
Adding to that, the Croatian players seemed divinely inspired, making all sorts of improbable shots, truly on fire.
The scouts sitting in the audience were starting to waver.
They were murmuring amongst themselves, feeling that Li Feng was perhaps overrated.
"What's going on? A lead of over 20 points, and they've been overtaken?"
"Li Feng seems unable to perform in tough games!"
"Yao Ming is more important. China just isn't the same without Yao Ming."
"Alas, it's a pity. Li Feng has good talent, but he's still a raw prospect."
"We overestimated him before. Even if he goes to the NBA, he'll only be a regular-season star."
The scouts were very disappointed, thinking their bosses had misjudged, shaking their heads and sighing.
A somber atmosphere also enveloped China's bench.
Li Feng remained silent, and so did everyone else, heads bowed.
Jonas, holding his clipboard, shouted loudly, hoping to boost his players' morale.
But in such a crucial elimination game, the players seemed stunned.
For inexperienced athletes, they can perform normally in favorable situations, but their abilities are greatly diminished in adversity.
In the third quarter, excluding Li Feng, the others shot a dismal 4 for 17, a terrifyingly low field goal percentage!
Yao Ming, sitting on the sidelines, grew more anxious. He couldn't bear to watch any longer and immediately stood up and walked to Jonas, offering to play.
"Coach, my knee is fine. Let me play in the fourth quarter."
Jonas was also hesitant.
His initial plan was that with a 20-point lead at halftime, Yao Ming wouldn't need to play and could rest and recover.
But the situation had changed drastically. If Da Yao didn't play, they would be going home if they lost this game.
As Jonas struggled to make a decision, Li Feng walked over.
"Brother Yao, Coach, let me try for another 3 minutes in the fourth quarter. If we can't regain the lead, then Brother Yao can play!"
Three minutes was a reasonable amount of time to catch up, but it still depended on the game's flow.
Yao Ming knew Li Feng was trying to buy him time to rest. He looked at Li Feng gratefully and said firmly, "Alright, but be careful not to get injured."
"I know."
Seeing that Yao Ming and Li Feng were in agreement, Jonas didn't say anything further.
After all, at this stage, it all came down to star player performance; tactics were no longer that important.
The fourth quarter began with Li Feng and four substitutes re-entering the game.
Croatia's coach was stunned. Li Feng hadn't rested?
What a stamina beast!
Before going onto the court, Li Feng gathered the four substitutes and gave them a stern order!
"Brothers, these three minutes are extremely important. You don't want Brother Yao to play with an injury, do you?"
"No!" his teammates replied in unison.
"Good, then play solid defense. You must fight for every ball and deny them any space to shoot, not even an inch. It's better to foul and send them to the free-throw line, understand?"
"It's okay even if we get fouled out!"
Li Feng knew very well that the defense had been the problem in the third quarter, with the main players unable to keep up with Croatia.
Now, playing with the reserves, their stamina should at least be good, so he demanded everyone go all out!
The Chinese players re-entered the game with renewed vigor, their expressions even fierce!
As the game started, Li Feng dribbled past half-court. Facing intense double-teams, he passed the ball to an open Li Nan.
Li Nan had a good three-point shot and a quick release. After receiving the pass, he decisively shot as Li Feng had instructed!
Swish!
Three-pointer made! 68:67, China took a 1-point lead!
Li Fei Dao (Little Li Flying Dagger) reappeared!
Li Feng roared in excitement, then ran over and high-fived Li Nan vigorously to show encouragement.
The Croatian players were intimidated by China's momentum and seemed a bit shaky.
Li Feng shouted to his teammates, "Focus on defense!"
Croatia initiated their offense, using constant screens and off-ball movement to find open teammates.
However, the Chinese players, as if injected with adrenaline, stuck close to them, chasing them everywhere. Even when encountering screens, it didn't matter; they switched immediately!
Under the desperate defense of the Chinese players, Croatia surprisingly committed a 24-second shot clock violation, unable to get a shot off!
The opening possession and defense of the fourth quarter brought the fans back to life with hope for victory.
The fans linked arms, jumping and cheering together, urging on the Chinese players. The roof of the Wukesong Stadium seemed about to be lifted by the roar.
The Croatian players were truly panicking.
Li Feng knew this was the best opportunity to extend the lead, so he loudly reminded his teammates to initiate a fast break.
Li Nan inbounded the ball from the baseline, launching a long pass to Chen Jianghua, who was near the half-court line!
Because the Croatian players were focused on Li Feng, Chen Jianghua was completely unguarded.
Chen Jianghua's speed advantage was evident. He drove all the way to the basket.
Only Banić from Croatia managed to retreat to the basket to defend.
If it were the old Chen Jianghua, he would have likely gone straight for a layup and been called for an offensive foul by Banić.
But after Li Feng's tutelage, he had learned to change his rhythm.